Experience buying from Teavivre http://steepster.com/places/2857-teavivre-online—
Note: this review is based on the 2012 harvest.
I received 15 grams of this tea as one of many tea samples provided by Teavivre. Thank you Angel and Teavivre!
This Long Jing Green Tea is advertized as being harvested on March 3, 2012. I brewed this up roughly a week after I received this tea.
Everything about this Dragon Well speaks of its quality: the characteristic appearance and fresh aroma of the both the dry and wet leaf, the movement of the leaves while steeping (more below), and it’s seemingly well-known sweet nutty flavor. As it seems most Long Jings do, this one yielded a mildly green colored liquor.
I started with my standard green tea times and temperatures when steeping (starting at 180F and one minute), and increased the time and temperature up through five steepings. While steeping, the leaves were all on top for 1st and 2nd, half and half on 3rd, such that they were up and active all the way to the 5th; I found the steeping of the leaves enjoyable to watch (with some teas the leaves simply sit on the bottom during the later steepings with little to no activity). I don’t know what all that activity means, but my guess is that movement is an indicator that there is life in the leaves.
I found that the wet leaf had the tell-tale signs of being a quality Long Jing: whole leaves interspersed with plenty of buds and bud sets, all of a uniform army green color. Although it is not the quality of Life in Teacups’s Da Fo Long Jing (the highest quality Long Jing I’ve yet had), this is clearly from a quality pluck.
The flavor was strong, and my wife and I both liked it. Still, as much as I like the taste of a quality Long Jing—and after having a number of them—I am finding that they all have a flavor profile that is not at the top of my list of favorite green teas. It had good flavor up to three steepings and on the forth it had a slight change in flavor that seems to be characteristic of Long Jings, something I don’t quite care for; I don’t know how to describe it, but it may be that it’s too nutty for me. Still, the fifth had an impressive amount of good flavor. With one exception, this is probably the best tasting true Long Jing green tea I have ever had. The price ($20 / 100g) is probably not too bad for an organic Long Jing of this quality, but it’s still too expensive for my tastes; personally, I would rather purchase a less expensive Long Jing. Price aside, this is a Long Jing I would be willing to drink on a regular basis.
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Great review! One thing though you were comparing Life in Teacup’s Da Fo Long Jing that is 13.50 for 25grams to a Long Jing that is under 5 dollar an ounce. Honestly, Life in Teacups tea is like 3 times the price of Teavivre. Now, if the price was the same and then their is a quality difference that make sense.
Kind like saying how someones Scion TC isn’t as good as a Nissan GT-R. I hope I am not coming off like a jerk just saying got to compare on a equal price or same price level.
By the way not saying anything bad about Life in Teacup teas they are probably great just at a higher price tag at least the one you named.
I totally hear you, Tea_is_wisdom, and I debated on whether or not to add that comparison. I added it because—quite honestly—that’s what came to me while looking at the wet leaf (since I relatively recently saw that wet leaf), and I believe the best reviews include things that come from our own personal experience (with as little editing of content as possible). I understand you may not have seen it like this, but I actually meant for the act of comparing it to a much higher grade of Long Jing to compliment Teavivre’s Long Jing, rather than to criticize it. I would love it if someone compared my writing to say, one of my favorite Sci-Fi authors, Ray Bradbury.
So it’s the same dilemma I face. Should I compare Mariage Freres 2011 FF Jungpana SFTGFOP1 to the exact same tea by Tea Trekker. Or the 2011 FF Margaret’s Hope SFTGFOP1 to Upton’s same tea graded as FTGFOP1? The teas from Mariage sometimes costs x3 or x5 more than their competitors. However since the taste can be completely different in taste, complexity, depth, and taste, I decided to compare Ray Bradbury to Ray Bradbury rather than comparing him to author’s like Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, etc. I’ve enjoyed Dune as much as the Foundation series. I enjoy the Tea Trekker and Upton at work and save the Mariage Freres for home since my wife is more picky than I am. Can I pick one over the other? Yes, but I won’t because each has their endearing characteristics and are good in their own ways. And price is the largest separating factor.
Great review! One thing though you were comparing Life in Teacup’s Da Fo Long Jing that is 13.50 for 25grams to a Long Jing that is under 5 dollar an ounce. Honestly, Life in Teacups tea is like 3 times the price of Teavivre. Now, if the price was the same and then their is a quality difference that make sense.
Kind like saying how someones Scion TC isn’t as good as a Nissan GT-R. I hope I am not coming off like a jerk just saying got to compare on a equal price or same price level.
By the way not saying anything bad about Life in Teacup teas they are probably great just at a higher price tag at least the one you named.
I totally hear you, Tea_is_wisdom, and I debated on whether or not to add that comparison. I added it because—quite honestly—that’s what came to me while looking at the wet leaf (since I relatively recently saw that wet leaf), and I believe the best reviews include things that come from our own personal experience (with as little editing of content as possible). I understand you may not have seen it like this, but I actually meant for the act of comparing it to a much higher grade of Long Jing to compliment Teavivre’s Long Jing, rather than to criticize it. I would love it if someone compared my writing to say, one of my favorite Sci-Fi authors, Ray Bradbury.
So it’s the same dilemma I face. Should I compare Mariage Freres 2011 FF Jungpana SFTGFOP1 to the exact same tea by Tea Trekker. Or the 2011 FF Margaret’s Hope SFTGFOP1 to Upton’s same tea graded as FTGFOP1? The teas from Mariage sometimes costs x3 or x5 more than their competitors. However since the taste can be completely different in taste, complexity, depth, and taste, I decided to compare Ray Bradbury to Ray Bradbury rather than comparing him to author’s like Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, etc. I’ve enjoyed Dune as much as the Foundation series. I enjoy the Tea Trekker and Upton at work and save the Mariage Freres for home since my wife is more picky than I am. Can I pick one over the other? Yes, but I won’t because each has their endearing characteristics and are good in their own ways. And price is the largest separating factor.